# woman

/ˈwʊmən/ (US) · /wˈʊmən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/woman
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. adult female

noun · CEFR A1

an adult female human.

For teachers: an adult female human being.

- A woman in a red coat was waiting at the bus stop.
- The first woman to lead the department implemented several reforms that improved staff morale and productivity.

### 2. women in general

noun · CEFR B1

all female humans as a group.

For teachers: female humans considered collectively; womankind.

- The history book discusses the role of woman in ancient society.
- The exhibition explores the evolving representation of woman in nineteenth-century European literature and art.

### 3. wife or partner

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

a person's wife, girlfriend, or female partner.

For teachers: a wife, fiancée, or female romantic partner.

- He lives in a small house with his woman and their two dogs.
- He spoke fondly of his woman, describing the many years they had spent traveling the world together before settling in the countryside.

Usage: Often used with a possessive pronoun like 'my' or 'his'.

Teaching tip: In modern English, using 'my woman' can sound possessive or old-fashioned; 'my wife' or 'my partner' is usually preferred in professional settings.

### 4. enthusiast

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

a woman who loves or is very interested in a specific thing.

For teachers: a female person characterized by a strong devotion to a specified interest, typically used as the final element of a compound noun.

- She has five cats and is known in the neighborhood as the cat-woman.
- As a dedicated outdoors-woman, she spent every available weekend hiking the most challenging trails in the national park.

Usage: Usually appears as part of a compound word like 'cat-woman' or 'career-woman'.

### 5. to provide female staff

verb · CEFR C2 · Formal · Technical

to provide a place or a task with female workers.

For teachers: to furnish with a female staff or to man a station specifically with women.

- The company decided to woman the new assembly line entirely with local experts.
- The historical records indicate that the telegraph office was womaned during the war years to compensate for the lack of male labor.

Usage: This is a rare, transitive use of the word.

## Examples

- The woman is waiting for the bus.
- A woman in a blue suit walked into the office and asked to speak with the manager.
- The committee appointed a woman with extensive experience in international law to lead the new human rights initiative.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.